The James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space telescope ever placed in orbit, revealed on Monday “the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the early universe”, marking about 13,000 million years ago. POT.

Filled with points of light of various sizes, the image shows the first galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang and contains dimly lit objects that have never been observed before. It’s a “historic” day celebrated during President Joe Biden’s presentation at the White House.

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The James Webb Telescope was able to see thousands of galaxies due to its infrared capabilities as it simultaneously pierced cosmic dust clouds and detected light from the first stars that expanded into infrared wavelengths as the universe expanded.

It is also Webb’s first “deep field” image taken with a long exposure time, making it possible to detect the faintest flares.

The image shows a group of galaxies called SMACS 0723, which acts as a magnifying glass and also reveals very distant objects in the cosmos behind it, thanks to an effect called gravitational lensing.

more images coming

The first five lenses for the Webb lens were announced last week, but the images were closely guarded to build anticipation.

On Tuesday, NASA will reveal other images at an event that space enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting. They are expected to impress with their beauty, while also serving as a reference for astronomers about the power of onboard scientific instruments.

Experts will be able to start interpreting the collected data. This phase will be the starting point for years of research that seems exciting.

On Tuesday, two nebulae – very photogenic and massive clouds of dust and gas, the birthplace of stars – are expected to be presented: the Carina and the Southern Ring.

Another target is Stephan’s Quintet, a group of interacting galaxies.

other worlds

Webb also performed spectroscopy — light analysis that reveals detailed information — on a gas giant planet called WASP-96 b, discovered in 2014.

Located about 1,150 light-years from Earth, WASP-96 b is about half the mass of Jupiter and orbits its star in just 3.4 days.

Exoplanets orbiting a star other than our sun are also the main research area for the Webb telescope.

Since 1995, about 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered, but many mysteries remain. Webb will seek to provide information that will allow us to study their atmospheres and determine whether they are habitable or if they can enhance life.

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The publication marks the end of many years of waiting for astronomers around the world, as well as the beginning of a scientific adventure.

Launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana in December 2021, the James Webb Telescope orbits the Sun 1.6 million kilometers from Earth in a region of space known as the second Lagrange point.

Considered an engineering marvel, the project’s total cost is estimated at $10 billion, making it the most expensive scientific platform ever built, competing only with the European Organization for Nuclear Research’s Large Hadron Collider (CERN).

NASA estimates that, thanks to its efficient launch, Webb’s booster could have a useful life of 20 years, during which time it will work with the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes to answer fundamental questions about the cosmos.